Convincing Leslie Knope and Ben Wyatt
by ginnyxpotter
Summary: My 1st Parks & Rec fanfic, also my first fanfic other than SWAC. Multi-Chap. Ann tries to set up Ben and Leslie, despite Chris's rule against inner government relationships. *In the 1st chap, Ann doesn't know that Leslie likes Ben yet. rated T for safety.
1. The Plan

**A/N: I know that I should be focusing on my SWAC story (K&A-JP) but ever since Adam Scott has permanently on Parks and Recreation, ahhh. I love Adam Scott with all my heart. I love love love Adam Scott and Amy Poehler. They have some of the best chemistry I have ever seen and this show, which was already one of my favorites, is now one of my very favorites. This is my first Parks and Rec fanfic and I hope you enjoy it. Oh and let's pretend that Leslie hasn't told Ann that she likes Ben, but Ann has a hunch. This might be a multichap. Actually it probably will be.**

**Convincing Leslie Knope and Ben Wyatt**

**Chapter One: The Plan**

Leslie Knope was sitting at her desk, staring at her computer, attempting to work, but failing miserably. She heard Ann Perkins near her office door, but didn't look up; she didn't want to look like she wasn't working. She heard Ann say, "Bye," and give the current guy she was dating a light kiss on the lips. Ann walked into Leslie's office, "Hey Leslie!" she said excitedly.

"Oh, hey Ann!" Leslie said, finally looking up from her computer, "Who was that?"

"Uh…Ben," Ann said, her tone implying that she either didn't want to tell Leslie who it was (making Leslie believe that this 'Ben' could be _her _Ben) or that she honestly couldn't remember his name. So, Leslie immediately looked out of her little office to see if it was indeed Ben Wyatt, but she found him nowhere in sight but nor was anyone else. She tried to think about it logically, Ann wouldn't date Ben because she's dating a bunch of guys right now, none of which she knew beforehand. But, Leslie probably was looking at her computer long enough for him to make his way back to his office. Ann was dating to get over Chris Traeger, though. So why would she date the person who Chris was closest with here? Maybe she should just ask Ann, but she knows how Chris feels about inner government relationships and maybe, just maybe, she could get over this crush on Ben Wyatt.

"Leslie, Leslie," Ann called her out of her thoughts and back to reality.

"Oh, sorry," Leslie flushed red, "I guess I'm a little distracted today," she bit her lip as Ben walked into the main office where Donna, Jerry, April, and Tom's desks were. She couldn't help but stare as he conversed with them and she wished he was in her office talking with her.

"Don't worry, Leslie," Ann breathed, barely above a whisper, "My date wasn't with Ben Wyatt."

And Leslie breathed a sigh of relief, only to quickly turn beet red and say, "Is it that obvious?"

"I'm your best friend and it took me this long to figure it out, how long have you liked him for anyway?"

"Uh…since the Harvest Festival…maybe before then…"

"Oh my gosh! Well does he like you?" Ann asked with a flicker of curiosity in her eyes.

"I don't know!" Leslie said, feeling defeated while she watched him walk by her office on the way back to his. He glanced in, surprised to see her looking at him, but he smiled at her nonetheless. She easily returned the smile and continued on, "I asked him out to lunch and he turned me down, but Chris said Ben told him the other day that he might be interested in seeing someone from the office, but he told Ben that he doesn't allow inner government relationships," she sighed, "he said that's why Tom and I couldn't see each other, as if we were…," they laughed together.

"Leslie, he only said no because of Chris's rule!"

"No, you don't know that, it could have been about someone else in the office," Leslie shook her head.

"Fine, you leave me no other choice, I'm going to monitor his behavior around you," Ann stated, standing up to leave.

"Ann," Leslie whined like a little girl who didn't get the stuffed animal that she had wanted from a crane machine.

"Oh and I came to tell you that I can't do lunch tomorrow at JJ's, but don't worry, I'll find someone for you to go to lunch with," she smiled mischievously.

"Okay," Leslie frowned, "See you later, then!" she put a smile on her face and Ann smiled and walked out of Leslie's office, leading Leslie to look back at her computer, not seeing that Ann had really gone over to Ben's office.

"Ann Perkins!" Chris exclaimed.

"Oh, hey Chris," Ann replied, still upset that he broke up with her so nicely that she hadn't even known that he had broken up with her, "Is Ben in his office?"

"Why yes he is," he started to answer, only to be cut off by Ann.

"Thanks," she said and swiftly walked into Ben's office before Chris could continue. Ben glanced up and then back down at his work, then did a double take. He was used to his only visitors being Chris and Leslie.

"Hey Ann, what can I do for you?" he asked, leaning back in his chair to look at her.

"Leslie and I are going to lunch tomorrow at JJ's and I was wondering if you wanted to join us," she said so casually. His pulse rate quickened and he could feel sweat building on his palms and at his hairline. He already had to turn Leslie down once and that was so hard to do, he didn't think he could turn down going out with her again. But, Ann would be there so he wasn't really going out with Leslie…you know what, why not? Chris couldn't take this as a date, so it looks like Ben had won this round.

"Sure, I don't have any plans for lunch tomorrow," he tried to sound casual. He thought Ann didn't see through him, but how wrong he was. Ann was beaming on the inside, she was so happy for Leslie.

But on the outside, Ann simply smiled and said, "Okay, see you there at one!" and she slipped out of his office and Chris's without him noticing. She checked her phone and it read fifteen minutes past three, perfect timing since she knew that Leslie was always in the bathroom at that time. Ann quickly walked out of the office building; barely anyone gave her a being in the office a second thought, not even April who she usually earned a glare from. So far, so good, Ann thought. Now it was off to the hospital for her. Leslie exited the bathroom just as Ann pulled away in her car. The rest of the day at work went smoothly without anything interesting really happening. Thankfully, Ben had a lot of work and didn't get the chance to talk to Leslie much that day (Well, thankfully for Ann, not for Ben and Leslie.) And Leslie was able to get back on task after talking to Ann, managing to come up with at least five new ideas for projects in Pawnee. She couldn't wait to suggest them at their next meeting and she secretly hoped that Ben would be impressed.

Leslie Knope left the office last, as usual, following shortly after Ben around thirty minutes after five. She got in her car and drove to her home. On the ride home she finally began to think about Ben, she had actually gotten some work done after Ann had left and her mind ran far away from Ben. She wondered if Ann really thought that he liked her. Was it possible that Mean Ben, the person she had hated for quite some time but had grown to know and love, felt the same way about her? It couldn't be…and even if it was, she thought as she pulled into her driveway, it could never happen because of that dumb rule Chris has. She changed into sweatpants and a t-shirt and separated her hair in half at the part, putting it into two ponytails – one on either side of her head, just above her ears. She got a bowl of chocolate ice cream for herself and sat down on her couch, turning on the six o'clock news.

Ben Wyatt had quite a different routine than that of Leslie Knope. He had a lot of work today, well not very much. He had finished just after Ann left his office but he started the work that he knew would have to be done eventually tonight. He knew that Leslie stayed until thirty minutes after five every day. He liked staying and working until it was almost time for her to close up shop. He liked to personally say goodbye to her, sometimes even help her lock up and walk to her car with her. He thought about how much his life had changed since he had met her. Even before he started planning everything around her and making her the center of his world, she impacted how he acted, changing him from Mean Ben to the eighteen year old Benjy who had been mayor and tried to make an Ice Town. He changed into a pair of basketball shorts when he got home and threw on a t-shirt. He grabbed a bowl and made some popcorn, plopped down on his sofa and watched the six o'clock news.


	2. The Decision

**A/N: Again, I should be focusing on my SWAC story, but I'm stuck so I'm working on this because Parks and Rec is awesomesauce! I think I forgot to say the disclaimer in the first chapter, ah well I shall say it for this one. Enjoy, feel free to review! Hehe. And I've actually woken myself up by laughing really loudly in my sleep once…it scared me and I jumped. XD**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Parks and Rec (and I didn't own it in chapter one either) nor do I own the movie Little Miss Sunshine.**

**Convincing Leslie Knope and Ben Wyatt**

**Chapter Two: The Decision**

So maybe Ben and Leslie's routines weren't all that different. But Ben couldn't help but think what life would be like if he left work with Leslie, went to her house (_their _house) after work, and kissed her every chance that he got. Ben shook his head. No, he thought, this isn't allowed, Leslie could lose her job. And he knew how much her job meant to her. So he sat on his couch alone. He sat there without her to cuddle with, to laugh with, and even to discuss the evening news with. Sometimes, just sometimes on very rare occasions like these, he wishes he hadn't moved out of Andy and April's house. After all, they weren't _that _messy. Then he comes to his senses and realizes he just wants Leslie. But he knows he can't have her and who knows if he's even right for her…maybe sometimes things are just better left unsaid. But if there was a part of her that did like him just as much as he liked her…he'd do anything to make their relationship work. And with that lovely thought, that fantastic glimmer of chance, in the back of his mind, he went to bed and fell asleep so very quickly at the early hour of nine o'clock.

Leslie popped in a DVD after the six o'clock news was over. It took her a while to pick the movie, but she finally went with Little Miss Sunshine because she decided that she was in the mood for a comedy and this particular comedy had a great message. Before the Hoover family even made it to the beauty pageant, Leslie had fallen asleep. Her dreams were filled with pageants and Ben. She dreamed that she was in the _Miss Universe _pageant, representing the United States of America. Ben was there, of course, supporting her through everything that she did. He waved at her from the audience and Leslie noticed a wedding band on his left hand ring finger, by the looks of it, it was fairly new. At first, she was shocked and crushed. But he was smiling at her and his eyes…they had a spark in them. He looked like he was so in love. Then it hit Leslie that he was looking at her this way, _her_, crazy Leslie Knope. She smiled back at him, and then glanced at her left hand, only to find a matching wedding band and a diamond engagement ring. She realized that Ben was married to her and she smiled and laughed as she got in the line with girls hailing from other countries. Her laugh was so loud that she actually laughed and woke herself up. She was still lying on the couch, the television showing the main title screen for Little Miss Sunshine. Leslie smiled at the dream she had just had and turned the television off. She got up from the couch, turned off the lights, and headed into her bedroom. She plopped down on her bed and fell asleep right away; after all it was around eleven o'clock.

Ann was at work. The hospital wasn't very busy tonight and her shift was over at midnight, but the whole night she was thinking about Ben and Leslie, hoping that they hadn't conversed about any lunch plans for tomorrow. That could prove to be disastrous seeing as Leslie didn't know that Ben was Ann's replacement and Ben didn't know that Ann wasn't going to be there. Hopefully he didn't ask her to carpool, either. But enough with all these worries, thought Ann as she got in her car shortly after midnight, everything was going to be perfect. She immediately went to sleep once she arrived at her home, knowing that she had to be at work again at one o'clock tomorrow afternoon. Well technically today since it's past midnight, but Ann doesn't have the brain power to think about the days this late…or this early.

Leslie Knope doesn't know the meaning of the words "sleeping in." She's never slept past five o'clock in her whole life. So promptly at five in the morning, Leslie was awake and getting ready to take her daily shower. Her shower only takes fifteen minutes as usual and once she's out she picked out a pant suit for the day, before changing her mind and picking a grey skirt with a matching grey blazer and a red shirt underneath. She walked back into her bathroom and combed her hair, deciding to go with the Greek goddess hair today, a braid of hair acting like a headband. It was now forty-five minutes after five o'clock and Leslie walked into her kitchen to make herself some breakfast. She made an egg, sunny-side up of course, poured herself a glass of orange juice, and turned on the television to watch the six o'clock news until she left for work at six thirty.

Although Ben Wyatt liked to get to work at forty-five minutes after six o'clock because a certain blonde got there just fifteen minutes before him, he didn't need as much time to get ready. He woke up at six o'clock; he got a shower, threw on his nicest plaid shirt with a skinny tie and a pair of nice dress pants, ate a bowl of cereal, and left for work. Sometimes, if he had time, he'd turn on the six o'clock news and watch the news, but this was not one of those days. He had spent quite some time picking out his shirt because he knew he would be going out with Leslie and Ann for lunch at JJ's that day.

Today was a meeting day to discuss new ideas for the parks department. Ben was going to ask Leslie if she wanted to carpool to JJ's, but just as he built up the nerve to ask her, Chris began the meeting. As usual, Leslie was the only one who had clearly thought of ideas before the meeting. That was one of the things Ben loved about her, she was just so dedicated to her work. The government would be so much more functional if all people were more like Leslie Knope, thought Ben with a smile. The meeting ended around twelve and Leslie quickly walked back to her office. She managed to get some work done in between imagining eating waffles in an hour and guessing who Ann had recruited to eat lunch with her at JJ's. It was around thirty minutes after twelve that Leslie decided she should head over to JJ's, she wanted to make sure she got a table for her and her mystery lunch date.

While Leslie likes to leave at thirty minutes after, Ben prefers forty-five minutes after. He heads over to leave, slowly walking by her office hoping to catch her before she leaves, but her office door is closed and it's dark inside so with a slight frown, he walks out the door alone. He arrived at JJ's at precisely one o'clock and walks in, looking for Leslie and Ann. He spied Leslie and figured Ann must be running late or be in the bathroom. He walked over to sit down in the booth that Leslie always sits in while at JJ's and said, "Hey Leslie, where's Ann?" as he sat down.

"Ben?" she exclaimed, seeming to be half angry and half ready to laugh, "You're replacement Ann?"

"Replacement Ann…," he said slowly, "what are you talking about? Ann asked me to go to lunch with you two today and I agreed."

"Ann is at work, Ben," she said, shaking her head slowly, "She told me she'd find someone else to go out to eat with me since she felt bad about missing it."

Suddenly realization dawned on him. Ann knew. So that must mean that Leslie _does _like him, too. Why else would Ann set up her best friend like this? But this wasn't right; Chris said he wasn't supposed to see anyone from the office. But Ann did bail on them…and they weren't just not going to eat, especially since Ben had caught Leslie eyeing the waffles of another woman. And why would Chris decide to eat at JJ's, today of all days? No, Ben needs to stop worrying and start living. And Leslie wouldn't mind a real distraction from her work every now and then, opposed to her daydreams. So they each order some waffles, because Leslie insists that they're the best and the glimmer in her eyes is too adorable for Ben to say no to. Ben Wyatt had decided that he was going for this, and he take full responsibility if anything jeopardizes something that she loves.


	3. The Questions

**A/N: I love writing for this show. I've been updating this story daily since I started two days ago and it's not prewritten. XD Not as long, but sweet and making progress! Enjoy, xoxo Allie.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Parks and Rec.**

**Convincing Leslie Knope and Ben Wyatt**

**Chapter Three: The Questions**

"So…," Ben tried to start a conversation.

"How was your day at work, Ann?" Leslie asked him, then blushed, "Sorry, I guess I'm used to eating with Ann." Ben decided to laugh rather than be angry that she had called him Ann.

"Great, the hospital wasn't busy at all last night," he said in his best Ann voice. She laughed and suddenly the whole mood changed. The waffles they had ordered were on the way and they couldn't stop talking, about anything and everything.

Because Ben wanted to get to know her better, he said, "Let's play twenty questions, we can go back and forth until we both answer twenty questions."

Leslie beamed, she loved games. "Alright, shoot!"

"What's your middle name?"

"May, what's yours?"

"Scott, what's your favorite animal?"

"A horse, what's yours?"

"An elephant, why are you repeating my questions?"

"Because I can't think of any questions and once you ask one I want to know that about you," she answered honestly, her cheeks tinted pink.

"Fair enough," Ben smiled, "You need a question for this round, though."

"Damn it," she murmured and Ben stared at her lips as she pouted in thought, "Okay, how did you come here as mean Ben and end up staying as relaxed, awesome, nerdy, Benjy?" she finished with a giggle. His brain started to race to all the things he wanted to say. The simple answer? She had brought him back to who he truly was. What he wanted to yell right then? Leslie Knope thinks Ben Wyatt is awesome! He settled on the longer, but vaguer, version of his answer, but still the truth.

"My job has been to come to towns to fix their budget. I've had to fire so many people because of it…I don't think of them so much as people anymore, but people who don't do their job. It's so hard to fire someone, but if they aren't doing their job, they shouldn't have their job. It doesn't matter if we were talking about the government or not and it doesn't matter if it's during a budget crisis or not. Those two things just make it so much more important that they are doing their job. Why should they be paid for doing nothing?" he stopped to take a breath, "Thinking of it like that made my job a whole lot easier. It was like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. But it was kind of like I had shut down my emotions. Then…then I came here, to Pawnee. I had plans to shut down this whole Parks Department, then I met yo- the people that work in it," he fixed his slip up before he finished, "You guys were, are, great people. I couldn't fire any of you, especially you. You are so dedicated to your job and it's one of the thing I lo-," he caught himself, almost too late this time, "It's one of the reasons that I changed back to who I was before I took this job. I can't imagine going back again," he finished, hoping she hadn't noticed any of his slip ups. But of course she pretended she hadn't, even though she couldn't hide her blush and smile.

"I'm glad you changed back," she laughed, "and that you decided to stay."

And when she said that, there was something in her eyes. Something that told him that she understood what he had just said, and not just the vague version. It felt so good to get that off his chest. Then he realized that it was his turn to ask a question, "Okay, question round number four," he started, he couldn't think of anything so he juts blurted out the first thing that came to his mind, "What were your past relationships like?" he immediately blushed and looked down. Thankfully, just then their waffles arrived. Ben began eating his waffles right away and thought Leslie would too, but instead she slowly began to talk.

"I've only ever been in a few serious relationships…I've only been close to love once before and I wasn't even dating the guy…It was a fling, well I guess it was a one night stand, with a coworker from the Parks Department. I had liked him for a while but hadn't said anything because he had a bad reputation. We ended up, to put it lightly, going all the way and I thought I loved him. He went on to date Ann for quite some time and he quit his job here and moved when she broke up with him."

Somehow while she was explaining this, Ben had stopped eating and they were both leaning in, across the table towards one another.

"And how do you feel now?" Ben questioned her, his breathing heavy and loud enough for Leslie to hear.

"I don't believe it's your turn to ask the question, Mr. Wyatt," Leslie replied, slowly settling back into her seat across from him and starting to munch on her waffles, "My question is the same as yours."

"One or two serious relationships, I broke up with them because they weren't right for me and I didn't feel like thi- like I should have felt with them," Ben almost slipped up again, "Now, how do you feel now?"

"Oh me?" she questioned, "I'm feeling great, I've got some waffles and a replacement Ann…"

"That's not what I meant."

"I know what you meant," she smiled shyly at him, "and I'm feeling rebellious, adventurous, rambunctious, and crazy in love…"

A smiled tugged at the corners of Ben's mouth.

"And how are you feeling right now?" she asked him.

"Precisely the same way," he said, annunciating each word.

And as if they had rehearsed it, as if they were planning on this happening all along, they both asked at the same time, "Since when?"

Their answers strayed from the classic movie lines, but were it was as if they were in their own movie.

"Since the very start," Ben answered while Leslie said, "Just before the Harvest Festival," at the same time.


	4. The Answer

**A/N: Sorry for not updating. I was super busy- sleepover, my birthday, mother's day, visiting my sister. I didn't want to rush this though, so please enjoy, xoxo Allie.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Parks and Rec.**

**Convincing Leslie Knope and Ben Wyatt**

**Chapter Four: The Answer**

"Wait," Ben said, his guilt getting the better of him, "Before we take this anywhere, if you want to that is, you should know that Chris has this rule-"

"I know," she said, cutting him off.

"What?" he asked, more loudly than he had intended to. His mind immediately jumped to the worst possibility at the moment, that she had asked Chris, just as he had, about seeing someone else in the department, but it wasn't him.

"I know about the rule," she began, "I'm sure you remember when Tom and I had our little situation," he nodded, feeling the jealousy of Tom kissing her coursing through his veins like he had just witnessed it all over again. "Well, Chris saw us kiss and didn't believe me when I said that it wasn't real…," she took a breath before continuing, "Anyway, he told me that he doesn't allow coworkers to date and he gave the example that you told him just the other day that you might be interested in someone in the office, but he told you that he wouldn't allow it."

At first, Ben was shocked. Leslie Knope was not sneaky. How had she kept this hidden from him for a couple of weeks?

"Oh, um," Ben stuttered while his face flushed red. As usual when he gets nervous, he blurted out the first thing that came to his mind, "Tom said that you're a really good kisser," he said quickly. Leslie blushed and took a bite of her waffles, slowly chewing them.

She swallowed when she decided what to say next, "We only answered six questions so far."

"We still have fourteen left."

"I can see why they sent you to fix Pawnee's budget," Leslie laughed her infectious laugh, causing Ben to chuckle too. "My question for you is simple, do you like to break rules?"

"It depends on the case," he said, a smile creeping onto his face, then dropping his voice to a whisper, "This is proving to be a case that's worth breaking some rules for. And as for you, Ms. Knope?"

"If the rule is a bit over the top," she replied, "But don't you know me by now, Mr. Wyatt? I fight for what I believe in."

"Do you believe in this?" Ben asked, his voice hoarse and a low whisper, not missing a beat.

Leslie was trying to control herself. It took her a few slow breaths before she could reply with a simple, "Yes," that was so quietly said while exhaling that Ben barely caught it. Barely. "Do you?" she countered.

"Of course," he said, looking at her. She had a piece of hair braided wrapping around her hair acting as a headband, which replicated Jerry's painting of her perfectly. She looked absolutely stunning, her eyes ablaze and a smile on her flushed face. "Leslie Knope, You have no idea how badly I want to kiss you right now."

This only caused her to blush even more. "Well…it is two o'clock," she said, checking her phone, "Lunch is over in thirty minutes, we want to leave around fifteen after two and get back at different times, and despite our talkativeness, we've managed to eat majority of our lunch."

All this clearly took Ben by surprise, "What exactly are you proposing?" he asked with a smile.

"That we pay this bill and continue this conversation behind JJ's," she said, like it was obvious. She took out her purse and started to get money out for the check.

"Leslie…I just want to know that you know you could lose your job if we do this," he replied, staring into her eyes intently, "And I'm paying the check."

"I know, Ben, but…sometimes it's better to jump and take the risk. You never know what you'll find," she said, putting her money back in her purse, "Thank you for lunch," she said, getting up to go around back. He went up to the counter and paid the bill quickly. He told them to keep the receipt and the coins, that way he could get outside faster.

He walked outside of the diner and walked around the side of it to get to the back of it. He found Leslie there, leaning against the wall with her eyes closed, enjoying the breeze on her skin. He snuck up on her a push a hair that had dangled out of place behind her ear. She jumped and her eyes fluttered open, "Shh," he leaned in and whispered into her ear. She was relieved to see that it was Ben and not a hobo or someone else. He pulled away from her ear and put his hands on either side of her face, with his thumbs at the meeting joint of her cheek and ear and his fingers in her hair. He looked down at her, staring so intensely that she thought he could see the deepest parts of her soul, while she looked up at him, with curiosity and awe in her eyes.

He dipped down and kissed her, slowly at first. She smiled into the kiss and kissed him back, opening her mouth a little to let him gain access. Her hands were knotted, holding fiercely onto his hair. His mind wandered. Wandered to how he wanted to hitch her leg around his thigh and push her against the wall and never have to leave this wonderful, fantastic place. She pulled away to breathe for a second and he left a trail of kisses around her neck. She smiled, closed her eyes, and sank into his kisses. He pulled back, took a quick step and turned, and suddenly he was leaning on the wall next to her. She turned her head to look at him and saw him staring back at her, his hair a mess (and not in its usual messy way) and his lips a shade darker than they usually were. He stared at her too, her hair was, simply put, everywhere and her lips were more than a little bit red. After seeing how Ben looked, Leslie realized that she must have looked very similar to him, she straightened her jacket and began to fix her hair.

"You look beautiful," he breathed, making her blush, "I've wanted to kiss you, to hold you, for so long. You have no idea."

"Well, what took you so long, Benjy?" she questioned, while, other than her lips, she had already made herself presentable.

"Doubt, fear," he said, "Doubt that you didn't feel the same way, fear of rejection…but I guess sometimes you just have to jump."

"You are the most sensitive man on the planet," Leslie stated. Ben looked hurt and was about to retaliate, but she cut him off with a quick turn (which landed her right in front of him) and a soft kiss on the lips, "I love that about you, Benjamin Wyatt."

"Leslie Knope, you are the cruelest woman on the planet," he sighed, "Way to mess with my head."

"You're my first and only secret boyfriend, I have to be unique with you," she said, smiling. He smiled at the word 'boyfriend' then realized that he had yet to formally ask her out.

"No, no, no. Let's continue the question game," he said, causing her to frown at his disagreement, then smile at the thought of continuing their game, "Do you want to go out with me?"

"Yes," she replied without a second thought, "Will you be at my house tonight for a dinner date?"

"Of course," he laughed and stepped forward to give her a kiss. Once he pulled back, she checked her phone for the time.

"We should go," she sighed, "It's fifteen minutes after two o'clock." And they began to walk towards the front of JJ's together. He walked her to her car and said, "See you back at the office," before walking back to his own car. He waited a minute or two, fixing his hair in the mirror, after she pulled out of her parking spot and drove off so they wouldn't get back at the same time. By the time Ben had got back to work, Leslie was already back inside her office. They smiled at each other as he passed her office and they both had the same thought, who would have thought that lunch with a coworker could start so much.


	5. The Conversations

**A/N: SOOOO…The Fight. Was hilarious and adorable. Road Trip. OMFG OMFG OMFG. I wanted to cry and scream and smile. All at once. Has anyone else seen spoilers from the season finale episodes? If you have, you'll agree with me when I say AHHHH! :D :D I'm so excited for Thursday! Anyway, I like where this story is ending up and how hope I can keep up with it and not get stuck, I'm totally stuck on my SWAC story atm. Enjoy-xoxo Allie.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Parks and Rec.**

**Convincing Leslie Knope and Ben Wyatt**

**Chapter Five: The Conversations**

The rest of the day went fairly quickly for Ben and Leslie. Ben must have had a goofy smile on his face because when Chris saw him he exclaimed, "Ben Wyatt! You look like you've literally just had the best lunch of your life." And Ben just smiled and said, "Yeah, it was nice," and continued with his work. Leslie took out her cell phone and texted Ann, "Alright, you win," and she looked back to her computer screen. A minute or two passed before her phone vibrated with a text from Ann saying, "Oh my God, what happened? Break in five, call me!" Leslie smiled at her friend's reaction. She knew she shouldn't tell anyone, but it was Ann…her best friend, the least likely person to talk to Chris since their breakup. Besides, Ann had been the one to set up the lunch that got them together. Ben would understand, Ann had a right to know. Five minutes passed and Leslie walked out to the courtyard where people ate lunch if they stayed at work over their lunch break. She pressed the number one button for Ann's cell phone on speed dial.

"Hey, spill," Ann picked up before the second ring, "Tell me everything."

"Well first of all," Leslie began, "A heads up would have been nice."

"Leslie," Ann whined.

"Okay, well we played the question game, which we still need to finish…," Leslie's thoughts began to stray, "Oh, then he asked me how I felt and I said in love and he said he felt the same way too."

"Aw!" Ann cooed.

"We talked and decided that sometimes you have to jump, especially if something feels so right but isn't allowed. So then we went behind JJ's and made out-"

"Whoa! Leslie!" Ann said, surprised.

"And we decided to keep it a secret because of the rule, but we're having dinner at my house tonight," she couldn't help but smile as she said the words.

"I'm so happy for you, Leslie," Ann squealed and Leslie could hear the smile in her voice.

"Me too…Thank you so much, Ann," Leslie sighed, "Well I should get back to work, talk to you later," Ann replied with a goodbye. When Leslie ended the call, she glanced down at her phone and saw that she had gotten a new message. It was from Ben and it read, "Hey what are you in the mood for? I was thinking we could make dinner together for tonight."

"Sounds delicious, how about Stromboli?" she texted him back as she walked back to her office, all smiles. Ben walked into the main office space to ask Ron a question, but before he could get back to his office unbothered, Tom stopped him. Suddenly, he remembered how Tom had told him what a great kisser Leslie was, and how right he was, but never again would that happen, Ben would make sure of it.

"Hey, have you seen how happy Leslie has been since she came back from lunch?" he questioned, "Wonder what she was up to, huh?" he said, raising his eyebrows suggestively.

Ben gulped, "Uh, I don't know. Maybe she just, uh, had a really good lunch."

"Nah, I think she's met someone," Tom smirked, "You'd have to be an even bigger nerd than you are to not see that!"

Being the nerd who was responsible for the happiness in Leslie of late, he was tempted to say just that, but he bit his tongue, "Wow, um, thanks? But believe it or not, I've been in relationships before," Leslie, who was listening from her office, was stifling a laugh.

"No problem, nerd," Tom laughed, "Well I have to go, there's a party at the Snakehole tonight and I have to go in early to get ready for it."

"You do that, then," Ben said, confused, and walked back to his office. The rest of the day passed as usual and soon it was thirty minutes past five o'clock and there was a knock on his office door, "Come in," he said and none other than Leslie Knope came into his office, "Oh, it's you Ms. Knope," Ben said, getting up and walking towards her, then stopping to lean against the door frame and look down at her, "Is there a problem?"

"Why yes there is, Sheriff Wyatt," she said in a country accent, looking up into his eyes, "All the cattle have left the ranch and I'm ever so lonesome."

"I can fix that," he said, as he leaned down and kissed her ever so gently on the lips. His tongue traced her lips, begging for entrance, which she gladly granted. And suddenly, just like earlier that day, they both forgot where they were and his hands were lost in her hair, while her hands were around his neck, digging her nails into his back. Not that Ben noticed, but even if he did he wouldn't have cared at all, because he was kissing Leslie. He never thought it would happen, but here they were. They broke apart for some much needed air.

"Wow," they both sighed, then laughed. Ben took another deep breath before beginning what he knew he needed to say.

"I know this…relationship," he started, picking his words carefully and saying them slowly, savoring the reality of them, "just started today, but…I've felt like this for so long now and…you make me so happy, just knowing that you like me too, and I think you are happy too," he took yet another breath, "I mean, Tom knew you were super happy, more so than usual, after lunch, and Chris knew that I was, too."

"You do," Leslie interrupted him; "You make me happy, even before we started dating. Ann said she could feel the sexual tension in the room when we were together, that it's like no one else is there."

"Exactly, and if it was that obvious before we started dating, how obvious will it be now that we are dating?" Ben continued. A look of worry flashed across Leslie's face for a split second, this sure sounded like a breakup to her, "So I think we should give this a week. Let it set in, let us get used to being together, then we go to Chris."

"Oh, thank God, I thought you were breaking up with me after less than a day of dating me!" Leslie said, clearly relieved, "But I agree. You know that I'm terrible at secrets. In fact, Ann already knows about today, about us."

"Leslie," Ben laughed, "Why would I break up with you, this has been the best relationship I've ever been in so far. And I figured Ann would know by now, she has a right to know, though. Plus I don't see her running to Chris anytime soon about anything."


	6. The Surprise

**Spoilers for the finales in my A/N and my predictions for season four! Oh and a warning for the word f*ck being said in this chapter, uncensored.**

**A/N: AHH! That's about all I can say about the season finale episodes. AMAZING. Everything I ever wanted. I'm so happy that Leslie's dreams are coming true! Okay so this is what I think (hope) will happen season four: At the end of Li'l Sebastian, Chris totally hinted that he liked Ann again. But Ann works in City Hall now as the PR for the Health Department, so he can't date her because of his rule. So he has to get rid of the rule, thus letting Ben and Leslie openly date. YAYY! :D Post your ideas in a review! Enjoy-xoxo Allie.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Parks and Rec.**

**Credit for the idea of revealing the feelings then yelling in Chris' office goes to robert3A-SN.  
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**Convincing Leslie Knope and Ben Wyatt**

**Chapter Six: The Surprise**

Leslie grabbed Ben's hand and leaned into him, "We're so in sync," she giggled.

"That's why I love you," Ben blurted out before thinking about the fact that they haven't even been dating for a day. A blush began to creep up his checks, but Leslie beamed.

"I love you, too," she replied without missing a beat, her smile adorably crooked, "I know this relationship is new, but we've both felt like this for a while now, so why should we hide our true feelings?"

Ben smiled, "I love you," he said slowly, "I love Leslie Knope," she laughed and then sighed, loving the words that he kept repeating. Suddenly, he snapped out of his trance, "I have an idea," he said with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Wha-," she started to ask, but he was suddenly pulling her towards Chris' office.

"Hey Chris," Ben said to an empty chair which usually held Chris Traeger, "I'm in love with Leslie Knope. We're dating. So fuck you and fuck your stupid rules."

Leslie laughed and Benn looked like he had let off a lot of steam and pent up aggression.

"Yeah, screw you, Chris!" she added, "You can't fire someone for being in love!"

Ben looked at her, a fire in his eyes, "Now watch us make out on your desk!" he picked her up and set her on Chris' desk. He swooped down and kissed her forcefully, with a hint of urgency. She kissed him back, just as forcefully urgent. Papers were flying off the desk, Leslie had managed to lie down and Ben was on top of her. He had his hand on the desk, holding him up so he didn't have all his weight on her. She had her hands knotted in his hair and her right leg was hitched and wrapped around his left leg. They broke apart and he began kissing her neck.

"I can't believe we're doing this," Leslie gasped. He pulled away and stood up.

"Wow," Ben sighed, coming to his senses. He ran his fingers through his hair, "Nor can I. Chris could walk in at any moment to grab something that he forgot in his office," he shook his head, "I'm sorry, I just wanted to blow off some steam…"

"Let's go back to my house for dinner," Leslie said, trying to get his mind off of the blameless guilt.

"Okay, how about you head to your house and I'll pick up the Stromboli ingredients."

"Okay," she stood on her tip toes and lightly kissed him on the lips, "See you soon, sheriff," and with that, she walked out of the office. Ben looked at Chris' desk and realized that there were papers everywhere. He quickly straightened everything before leaving. While Ben headed to the local grocery store for ingredients, Leslie went home. When she got to her house, she quickly changed out of her outfit and put light, flowing, red dress. Today had felt so long, so much had happened all in one day. Ben soon arrived but she waited until he rang the doorbell to let him in.

"Wow, you look great," Ben breathed, "I wish I knew you were going to dress up, I would have changed."

"What you're wearing is perfect," Leslie laughed as she stood on her tip toes and kissed him, "Come on, let's make some Stromboli."

Ben laughed, "Okay, boss."

"Technically, you're my boss," she said, leading him into her house, towards the kitchen.

"Very true, Ms. Knope," Ben said, setting the ingredients he had bought on the counter, "Do you know how to make Stromboli?"

"Uh, I actually only know how to make one thing."

"Do I even have to guess?" Ben smiled, she didn't answer right away so he asked, "Waffles?"

She just bit her lip and slowly nodded.

"You may just be the craziest person I've ever met," he laughed.

She smiled, "Well let's make that one thing two," she said as she clapped her hands together. The two of them rolled the dough and add ingredients, then rolled it up and put it in the oven. Ben looked at Leslie, who had a streak of flour across her cheek.

"You have some flour on your cheek," he told her, she glanced at her reflection in the microwave door.

"Well maybe we should even the playing field," she said as she stuck her hand in the flour and ruffled his hair.

"Leslie," he gasped, trying and failing to suppress laughter. As his laughter broke, she started to laugh, as well.

"Well what should we do while we wait to eat?" he asked.

"Hm…I don't know, what do you want to do?" she said as she hopped onto the counter.

"I have an idea," he said as he took a step forward and kissed her, slowly at first. She kissed him back, then slid forward and wrapped her legs around his waist. Neither of the two ever imagined that kissing someone could feel this way. Suddenly, as if they needed a reminder of the rest of the world, the doorbell rang. Her legs fell from around him and he jumped back, his hands in the air as if he had been accused of something.

Leslie wiped the flour off her cheek, "Go to the bathroom and wash the flour out of your hair. I'll answer to door and text you the plan. I can't act as if you're not here seeing as your car is here and something other than waffles is cooking."

Ben nodded silently and was about to ask where the bathroom was when she pointed down a hallway, "Second door on the right," she said and briskly walked to the door.

She glanced down the hall and made sure Ben was in the bathroom before answering the door.

"Leslie Knope!" exclaimed the worst person to ever barge in on the couple, "I'm sorry to drop by like this, but I had some reports that I literally need you to read tomorrow morning, but since I'm running a marathon I won't be in the morning tomorrow. Something smells delicious, by the way. Oh and is Ben here? I saw his car out front," he said hurriedly.

"Oh, it's fine, Chris," Leslie began, planning out everything she said, "And yes, Ben is here. He actually came over to help me make Stromboli. It's for Ann. A congratulations on her new job in the Health Department."

"I hope you wouldn't mind if I stayed? I simply love congratulation parties, and of course Stromboli!"

"Oh, no, not at all, come in," Leslie quickly said, starting to panic, "Ben's in the bathroom cleaning up, there was a mishap with the flour…"

She led him inside and over towards the coach in the living room. He took a seat and she said, "I have to make a call, I'll be just a minute."

He nodded and she walked off towards her bedroom. She took out her cellphone and texted Ben, "It's Chris. I told him you were helping me make Stromboli for Ann and we were having a party for her because of her new job. He's staying for dinner. I'm calling Ann over now; I'll text you when to leave the bathroom." He quickly replied with, "Fantastic. Okay, you are the best at cover ups. Maybe you are sneakier than I thought…" She smiled but quickly realized that she had to call Ann.

"Hello?"

"Ann, you need to get over to my house right now."

"Wha-Why?"

"Chris showed up to drop off papers and he saw Ben's car, so I told him Ben came over to help me make Stromboli for you as a congratulations on your new job in the Health Department," she answered very rushed.

"I'll be there in five minutes."

"Thank you, thank you, thank you, Ann!"

Leslie quickly texted Ben that he could leave the bathroom in about a minute and walked back out into the living room where Chris was.

"Everything alright, Leslie?"

"Just peachy, Chris, just peachy," she said with the best smile she could muster.


	7. Author's Note I know you hate these

A/N: Hey guys! Sorry I haven't updated in forever! I promise I'm continuing this story; I've just been super busy. I got back from Europe around July 7th and tomorrow I have the Harry Potter midnight premiere and then the 19th I leave to go camping for a week. Hopefully I'll be able to update this story soon though…I'm writing as much as I can, whenever I get the chance. So yeah, just thought I'd give you all an update with this story since it's been awhile since my last update. :)


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